


The Rose and The Pearl (1/2)

by fromthechaos



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/F, Keep a box of tissues, especially if your name is Kimmie.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-03
Updated: 2005-08-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 07:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10552744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthechaos/pseuds/fromthechaos
Summary: After a disastrous trip to see the Wizard, Elphaba and Glinda part ways... with a promise. Based on my favorite passage of Wicked, the novel, (The very last page of part two, Elphaba and Glinda's farewell.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mixed Book/Musical-verse. Imported from my LJ Community.  
> Originally posted August 2004

Elphaba kneeled down in front of the Wizard’s worn book, running her long green fingers over the pages. “What funny writing...” she murmured, trailing off. She glanced up at Glinda briefly, hoping her own fear didn’t show in her eyes. Glinda bit her lip and nodded encouragingly, her own fears betrayed by her delicate white fingers tangled in the whitegold chain of her beloved necklace.

Elphaba took a deep breath, nudging her hat back out of her eyes with the back of her wrist, looking back down to focus on the swirling black and green writing. “Aben tate...” she started, her voice barely above a harsh whisper.

Glinda bit down harder on her lip, her fingers crossed and entwined in the chain of her necklace, pulling the chain taut against the soft skin of her neck as Elphaba spoke in a language neither the girls nor the Wizard understood.

Chistery, the Wizard’s monkey servant perched high above Elphaba on the top of the wizard’s throne suddenly threw himself to the floor with a tortured scream. His redorange arms flailed over his shoulders, reaching for nothingness, grasping at air then suddenly with a loud confusion of fluttering and screams, shocking brownblue wings tore from his back.

Elphaba scrambled back over the smooth green marble floor of the Wizard’s chambers, one bony hand clutched over her mouth, which was wide open with horror, the other grasping at the ancient book. “What’s wrong with him! Show me how to undo it... show me how to fix him!”

The Wizard opened his mouth and then closed it, shrugging hopelessly. “Spells are un-reversable... I’m sorry, Elphaba, there’s nothing we can do... but look... how amazing and on your first try!”

“He’s in pain! I’ve hurt him...” she reached a trembling hand out for Chistery who screamed and ran behind the Wizard’s legs, clutching his shoulders, shaking.

“It’s all in the name of progress, Elphaba,” the Wizard said with a shaky chuckle. “He’ll be fine besides which, he’s just an Animal...”

“JUST?! Just... and you are just a horrible old man! You can’t even read this can you?” Elphaba stood, clutching the book to her wildly heaving chest, her heart and mind both racing. “You can’t do any of this! You’re no Wizard...”

A pained look crossed his worn and wrinkled face as the Wizard closed his eyes, taking off his glasses. “No... I can’t... but with your help we can bring peace to Oz and rid the land of it’s Animal problem, don’t you see?”

“No! You horrible... you wicked old man...” Elphaba backed against the door, trembling hand reaching for the handle.

“Elphie, what are you doing?!” cried Glinda.

“I won’t. I won’t help him destroy the Animals. I can’t. I won’t.” Elphaba pushed the door open, flinging herself into the hallway as quickly as her feet would carry her.

Horrified, Glinda turned toward the crestfallen old man settled into the throne, “I’ll go find her your Wizardness... I’ll fetch her back for you!”

The Wizard nodded and pressed a green flask to his lips. “Of course. Right...” Glinda slipped from the room, running awkwardly on her brand new Gillikinese high heels. For the first time in her life, Glinda couldn’t catch sight of her green friend, lost in the sea of emerald clad Ozians. “ELPHABA!” she cried, hoping to catch sight of the familiar verdigris. Raising to the tips of her toes, Glinda could barely see over the heads of anyone. “ELPHABA THROPP!”

The twitch of a tall black hat ahead of her in the crowd gave her away and Glinda pushed her way through the crowd in a manner that would surely send her mother into a fit. “Oh the hell with mother,” she grumbled to herself at the thought, shoving aside a young Bear cub. Glinda reached forward, grasping at Elphaba’s thin and bony elbow. “Elphaba Thropp, you stop right now. How in the Hell am I supposed to get home if you’re the only one who knows the way!”

Elphaba turned on her heel, tears running down her cheeks, leaving bright trails that clashed against her emerald skin. “Oh, right, sorry, I forgot that this was all about YOU,” she snapped.

Glinda softened, “Oh Elphie... you’re crying...” The small blonde pulled Elphaba closer, pulling out a handkerchief to dab the tears away.

Reluctantly, Elphaba let her dab at her tears. “People are staring...” she whispered.

“You act like that’s new or something,” Glinda smiled, kissing her cheeks gently. “There, all better... now let’s go back and apologize to the Wizard...” Glinda pulled at Elphaba’s hand but she didn’t move, just shaking her head.

“No. I’m not going back, Glinda.”

“What in Oz name are you talking about, Elphaba,of COURSE you’re going back.”

“No... no, I’m not. I’m not going back to the Wizard... and I’m not going back to Shiz. This isn’t the place for me. I have to go fight for the Animals... for what I believe in. I... this is goodbye, Glinda,” Elphaba grasped Glinda’s hands in hers, looking into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Glinda... I just... I can’t live their lie.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

No, Elphaba wanted to say. No, It’s too dangerous... I’m too dangerous. “Of course you will...”

“Promise me!” Glinda said, tears welling in her eyes. “Promise me that I’ll see you again. That I’ll know you’re safe and alive.”

“I can’t promise that...”

“You can and you will, Elphaba Thropp.”

“Oh, Oz... don’t cry, Glinda... You won’t miss me.” Elphaba tried to force a smile, but her heart and face just wouldn’t agree. “Besides, you have Pfannee and ShenShen... and Fiyero.”

“Elphie, you know that I’ll miss you. Do I have to remind you how much I’ll miss you?”

Elphaba’s cheeks darkened in a sort of blush, “Glinda...”

The smaller girl pulled away, her hands fumbling at the back of her neck. “Fine, if you won’t promise me, then I’ll promise you.” She pulled her hands away from her neck, holding the precious whitegold necklace, a simple red rose grasping a pure white pearl in the middle of the bloom dangling from the chain. “Take this. Wear it with the promise that one day we will meet again and you’ll give it back.”

Elphaba’s eyes widened. No, I can’t take that from you! or But, Glinda, that’s your favorite necklace she wanted to say. “But... It clashes with my skin...”

Glinda smiled in spite of herself. “You’re incorrigible, Elphie. Now here...” She circled her arms around Elphaba’s neck, clasping the necklace which, true enough, did contrast brightly against her bright green skin. “There. Beautiful...”

A tear splashed against Glinda’s hand as she pulled it away and she looked up to see Elphaba crying again. Glinda threw her arms around the taller girl, holding her close, letting her own tears run. “I’m going to miss you.”

Elphaba pulled away, trying to remain calm, “No you aren’t. You’re going to go back to Shiz and live your life the way you would if none of this had ever happened. You’ve sealed it yourself... I will see you agian.” Elphaba backed away, turning and pushing through the crowd, dissapearing in seconds.

Glinda stood still in one spot, her arms still half out from the short-lived embrace. “I love you,” she whispered into the crowd merging around her.


	2. The Rose and The Pearl (2/2) (AKA Two updates within two days!?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will they reunite? Will Liir stop asking why?

She didn’t mean to see it. She usually tried not to and it was more often than not tucked into her high necked black dress. But when she passed the darkened window of an abandoned store, her street lamp-lit reflection betrayed what she tried to hide. The necklace had slipped out. A red rose enveloping a pearl laid against a sea of black cloth.

Years had passed since she first had that necklace placed around her neck by warm soft hands. Elphaba stepped closer to the window, reaching for the reflection as though she were reaching for another person but she disappeared as the oily shadows enveloped her. Slowly she raised a hand to the middle of her chest, touching the charm to assure herself that it was, in fact, there and not just a trick of the light.

Her heart both leapt and sank as the memory of Glinda’s promise, giving her the strange sensation of being momentarily weightless. The memory was a happy one, of course... because at that moment, Elphaba knew she was truly loved by someone and not just any someone... Glinda Upland of the Arduennas Uplands... Yet it was a sad memory because Elphaba knew that she had not fulfilled that promise and she had never seen the blonde again... nor, now living the life of an outlaw and Glinda living the life of a debutante, did it ever seem they would.

 _It’s just a silly necklace_ , Elphaba reasoned to herself. Pride kept the necklace hidden... but her human sentimentality kept it firmly around her neck. _It was hers and she trusted it to me..._ With an exasperated huff, Elphaba shoved the necklace beneath the black collar and mounted her broomstick, ascending into the black night sky, dissapearing to everyone but one man who looked on, invisible except for only the blue diamonds tattooed into his skin glittering in the same lamp light that betrayed the green woman’s secrets. With a glint of blue, the man disappeared, smiling to himself in satisfaction that he had found who he was looking for.

It wasn’t until weeks later, when Elphaba was passing that same abandoned shop that the man made his move. He slipped out from the shadows behind her, grasping the hand that held her broom, addressing her quietly. “Elphaba...”

Elphaba froze and whipped around. “Don’t touch m-- F...Fiyero?”

“I was hoping that it wasn’t some strange stroke of coincidence that there would be two beautiful green women in Oz,” Fiyero chuckled, loosening his grip. “What happened to you, Miss Elphaba? It was quite the scandal when Glinda returned to Shiz without you, you know.”

“Well, that’s all a wicked witch is good for, isn’t it? Scandal?”

“So you’re wicked now, are you?”

“If you want the full glory of it, yes.”

“Because of course, being green isn’t glory enough.”

“Only if you find glory in a life sentence of looking queer,” Elphaba retorted sharply.

Fiyero held out his hands, light glinting off of his diamond tribal tattoos, “You forget who you’re speaking to, Elphaba. Not all of us are snowy white like dear Glinda.”

Elphaba softened, the hand holding her broom falling limp beside her. “You know that’s not how I meant it, Fiyero.”

Fiyero didn’t hear her words, taking advantage of her vulnerable pose to reach for her neck, pulling loose the necklace, staring silently for a moment. “So she did give this to you.” His voice sounded almost hurt, dismayed. With a hint of...

 _No, he was in love with Glinda, that’s why he sounded sad_ , Elphaba reasoned silently before her mind could suggest that perhaps Fiyero’s sadness was jealousy for Glinda and not the other way around.

“I haven’t seen Glinda since we graduated. I’ve heard she’s quite unhappily married,” Fiyero continued, watching the emotions cross Elphaba’s face as he spoke.

Elphaba bristled, “Why should I care?”

“Oh don’t try to be so indifferent, Elphaba. If you didn’t care you’d sell that necklace for scrap and be done with it. You love her and she loves you... Whether or not either of you know it,” he snapped.

Now Elphaba couldn’t deny the jealousy that peppered his voice, still uncertain of who it was directed toward. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Fiyero. She was just my roommate.”

“Let’s go get some coffee. We have some years to catch up.”

“I don’t drink coffee. I do, however, have some Quadling wine at home.”

Fiyero’s smile from his mouth to his eyes answered Elphaba’s questions as they disappeared back into the shadows that once hid them both.

\---------

“It’s not pink enough.” Glinda set the scarf down on the table, reaching for another one, tying it around her neck. She reached for the hand mirror again, only to see a dark hand on it. Glinda traced her eyes up the arm, pleased to see it belonged to someone with enough fashion sense to wear a well tailored coat.

“It’s good to see you again, Glinda.”

Glinda jumped, her eyes leaping up to the familiar face. “Fiyero! What... what are you doing here? Don’t you have a kingdom or tribe or something over in the Vinkus? And a wife?”

“Yes, but being prince of my tribe means I have to come do all that boring bureaucratic bullshit, doesn’t it?” Fiyero smiled a wide glittering smile matched only by his glittering diamond flecked skin.

“It’s a shame you had to go and be married when you were a kid... Marrying royalty would have done wonders for my social life,” Glinda smirked, taking the mirror from Fiyero, inspecting the scarf with a nod. “Perfect. Which means it’s perfect for me.”

“I can think of something else perfect for you...”

“They have tiaras?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of some _one_ , actually. And really... green is more your shade, Glinda.” It was Fiyero’s turn to smirk as the color flushed out of her face and the mirror slipped from her hand, falling into the cushion of discarded scarfs. Fiyero raised his hand to her neck, gently unknotting the scarf, pulling it from her neck gingerly. “She also has something that belongs here. And... here.” He brushed his fingers along her chest, over her heart.

Glinda pulled away, her cheeks now bright pink. “Really, Fiyero, such talk and ... and... touching me like that in public, I’m a married woman.”

Fiyero scoffed, rolling his eyes. “On paper, you’re married to... Sir Chubbsy is it?”

“Sir Chuffrey.”

“Right. But in your heart? You’re married to Elphaba. You made a vow to her--” Glinda gaped, eyes wide. “--yes, she told me about that. I saw her... some time ago. She still has your necklace... and you still have her heart.”

“She’s alive?”

“You know that as well as I... you’re well connected with the Wizard... You know she’s a wanted woman,” he chuckled softly. “And I don’t just mean wanted by you.”

Glinda blushed again, “Really, Fiyero, it was nothing more than college lust. I was a silly child.”

“Convince yourself what you want... but she misses you and she loves you. Besides, you’re missing out on really great sex and _that_ I can tell you for a fact.” Fiyero smirked, setting the scarf back in Glinda’s hands. “Good day, Lady Chuffrey.”

\----

The little boy was trailing behind Elphaba, kicking pebbles that occasionally pelted the backs of her legs. “You can really stop that, you know...”

“There’s nothing better to do,” he complained.

 _Stupid whining child..._ she thought with a groan. “You could make yourself useful, Liir.”

“And do what?”

“I don’t know, something useful. Here, carry my book.”

“But it’s _heavy_ ,” he whined again.

“Well then be glad I’m not asking you to carry _me_.”

There was a moment of silence save for the shuffling of Liir’s feet and squeak of Elphaba’s leather boots. “Why do you wear that dumb necklace?” Liir’s voice broke the silence, lacking its usual whine for once.

“None of your business.”

“You never take it off. Not even when you sleep. You hold it a lot too, what does it mean? Who gave it to you?”

“Children who ask too many questions get fed to wolves, did you know that?”

“Did my father give it to you?”

“I think I see a wolf ahead,” Elphaba said vaguely.

Liir scowled, kicking a pebble square at the back of her leg, missing horribly. “Is it from the person you talk to in your dreams?”

“I don’t dream,” she replied stiffly. “Now be quiet or I will find a wolf.”

“You do dream. You talk to someone in your dreams. Someone named Glinda.”

Elphaba remained silent. Liir walked silently alongside her.

Again it was the boy who broke the silence, “Was she beautiful?”

“Of course.”

“Do you love her? Or do you love my father?”

“I don’t love.”

“Then why do you wear that stupid necklace?”

Elphaba didn’t reply, she merely howled softly and Liir stopped asking questions, quietly taking her booksack.

\----

The wind whipped through Elphaba’s hair as she flew low over the moonlight housetops in the center of the emerald city. A sudden gust sent her hat, the same hat she’d kept since Shiz, flying from her, landing with a flop on a nearby terrace.

Elphaba groaned, wrapping her cloak tightly around herself, flying back to the house. Her feet touched the ground almost silently, reaching for the hat. Another gust blew the hat just out of her reach. “Come here you stupid hat,” she whispered, grasping the tip of it, her arm brushing a potted plant that was perched precariously on the ledge. It teetered and fell towards her, hitting the terrace floor loudly, shattering. “Well fuck,” she groaned, grasping her broom as the windows along the house lit.

Her feet were about to leave the ground when the curtains flew open and the light hit her brightly and she threw her hands over her eyes, unsure if she was shielding them from the light or shielding herself from sight.

Glinda peered out of the window, frozen in place, convinced she was still dreaming. A green woman swathed in black standing on her terrace? No... She must still be dreaming. But then... she saw it. The sparkle of red and shimmer of white against the sea of black. She touched the window pane, her lip trembling. “Elphaba?” Shaking her head, she unlocked the window, lifting it slowly. “Elphaba... is that... it can’t be...”

Elphaba lowered her arms, looking at the silhouette, the voice echoing in her ears, the same as the day they said goodbye. “Glinda?”

The shrill squeal that followed was all the answer she needed. Glinda threw open the door to the terrace, running out, throwing her arms around the other woman. “Oh, sweet Oz, Elphaba... It’s really you!” She pulled back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, raising her hand to touch the familiar green face before her. She leaned forward, pressing her lips firmly against the dark green lips before her.

Elphaba stiffened slightly before relaxing, kissing her back slowly before pulling away. She reached behind her own neck, unclasping the necklace, suddenly feeling naked and exposed without the now familiar weight. “I have something that belongs to you.”

Glinda grasped Elphaba’s wrists, pushing them back towards her. “Keep it. That way, I’ll still have a promise to keep.”

Elphaba smiled, clasping the necklace back around her neck, wordlessly scooping the petite blonde back into her arms, kissing her firmly. “You’d damn well better keep that promise some day.”

“I will,” she smiled. “Glinda Upland always keeps her promises. But... you ought to go... It’s supposed to rain.”

Elphaba nodded and mounted her broom, dissapearing into the darkness, watching the glow of the terrace until it was just a pinprick of light against the darkening sky.

Once back at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba crept quietly into her sleeping chamber, trying not to wake Liir. Chanting softly, she waved a hand over an unlit candle, jumping when it lit to reveal Liir sitting on her bed, waiting for her. “You look different.”

She shrugged, “Do I?”

Liir smiled wisely, “Yes. You look like you’re dreaming, only awake. But you’re still wearing that stupid necklace.”

“It’s not stupid, really. And I think I am dreaming... for now.”


End file.
